


It's No Surpise

by aswellingstorm



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M, Fourth of July, but not really, gladys sucks in this story ! fair warning, i am so sorry for this TRASH, idk - Freeform, it's just a moment, minor abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-04
Updated: 2017-07-04
Packaged: 2018-11-23 05:03:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11395887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aswellingstorm/pseuds/aswellingstorm
Summary: When Gladys and Jellybean come to visit for the fourth of July while FP is still in jail, the day turns out to be more explosive than everyone had hoped.





	It's No Surpise

**Author's Note:**

> This is really rushed because I have work alllllll day tomorrow and I didn't want to post it after the fourth & feel irrelevant or wait 365 days to post it (i just can't make comittments like that)! so yeah this was not edited at all unless you count spell check
> 
> as always you can follow my pure bughead trash tumblr @ aswellingstorm.tumblr.com

It seemed like a good idea, a _great_ idea Jughead might have even argued. Betty had her doubts, but they all faded when she watched Jughead clean up the trailer, talk about how much Betty would _love_ Jellybean, how excited he was for his parents to talk in person or when she saw him fall asleep with a content smile on his face. Even Jughead’s foster parents approved of the idea, as long as he called them regularly so they knew he was alright. But Betty knew a disaster was coming, as she always did, yet she couldn’t bring herself to crush his mood.

 

Instead, she mentally prepared herself for the worst, steeled herself for every situation that may filter into their tiny town. She’d even asked Pop Tate to have burgers and shakes at the ready-if need be.

 

Without Jughead even needing to ask, Betty arrived at Sunnyside early that morning. She was wearing a white button down shirt with the collars undone, navy blue shorts and red and white polka dot Keds. The blonde had even managed to brush a coat of Ruby Woo onto her lips (what Alice Cooper didn’t know wouldn’t kill her).  Tentatively, she knocked on the door and pecked Jughead on the cheek when he opened it with a grin. Truthfully, they wouldn’t arrive until around noon because they were visiting FP beforehand but Betty wanted a few minutes with her boyfriend before the impending storm.

 

“Hey, you look…” he trailed off before breathlessly saying, “ _amazing_.”

 

She smiled shyly before mumbling out a thank you and looking back at him. He was wearing his usual black jeans paired with a black t-shirt, and he had a red, white and blue flannel tied around his waist. Jughead’s hair was combed back, as far as what she could gather from underneath the beanie. He had bags under his eyes and they were brimming with redness. Worriedly, she brought her hand up to his face and soothingly the pad of her thumb underneath his eye.

 

“You look exhausted Jug, did you get _any_ sleep last night?” She asked in awe.

 

He smiled as he deflected her question, giving her the same look as he had when they first kissed, “Y’know, I just _love_ our dynamic. I tell you how great you look, you tell me I basically look like shit.” He laughed in earnest and brushed his hand against the side of her face.

 

Betty just rolled her eyes at him before moving towards the tattered couch and tugging him along with her, “Deflect my question all you want. I’ll just have to answer my own questions and assume that last night you consumed _far_ too much coffee, cleaned this house for what must be the thirty-second time, paced back and forth for a bit, tried to fall asleep, but then couldn’t because you _think_ you’re too excited or too nervous but reality simply maintains that you consumed _too_ _much coffee_.”

 

Jughead just laughed in response, with a slight blush rising on his cheeks. She knew him too well and had hit the nail right on the head.

 

“Alright, you caught me. But,” he said, shifting closer to her and looking in her eyes, “Can you blame me?”

 

“No,” She affirmed, snuggling in closer to him and resting her head on his shoulder, “I just wish you would’ve texted me.”

 

“Listen, I’m fine. I don’t need much beauty sleep anyhow. I mean look at me, I’m already such a stud,” He remarked with sarcasm, earning a playful shove from Betty.

 

“Guess I can’t argue with you there,” She responded, innocently batting her lashes at him before leaning in to give him a kiss. When she felt his lips about to touch hers, she reacted quickly, her hands flying to the sides of his stomach to tickle him.

 

He helplessly laughed before attempting to retaliate by tickling her back and wheezing out, “ _You tricked me_.” Good-heartedly, the wrestled on the couch for a spell with her easily pinning him down, with her knees on either side of him and her hands over his wrists above his head.

 

“Surrender now,” she demanded proudly, a large smirk on her face.

 

“Fine, you _win_ ,” He looked up at her lovingly, once again wondering how he got so _damn_ lucky. She looked like a picture of living grace above him; green-blue eyes filled with joy, fly-aways pulling back into her pony, mascara ever so _slightly_ smudged on the tops of her lids from laughing so hard, perfect lips parted back into a breathless smiled saved just for him. It was a moment Jughead wanted to hold on to for eternity.

 

 ** _BANG_**. The metal door of the trailer flew open abruptly, sunlight pouring in to reveal Gladys and Jellybean on the steps in the July heat. Immediately, the couple shot up, flames dancing on Bettys cheeks, as Jughead jumped to the door. All four of them appeared equally surprised at the sudden entrance.

 

Gladys and Jughead shared an awkward, tense but short hug when Jellybean pushed past her mother and instantly pulled Jughead into what had to be the tightest hug of the boy’s life. Hilariously enough, she was dressed in an identical fashion to Jughead, tight black jeans, black Pink Floyd t-shirt and a red flannel tied around her waist. She had hair that was a bit more brown than his and wore a classic black choker.

 

He reintroduced Jellybean and Gladys to Betty, they had all seen each other in passing but they had never acted interacted. His mother was nice enough for a woman who just saw a near stranger pinning her son against a couch in their old shell of a home, and Jellybean appraised her cautiously. After being introduced to her, Betty reached out to give the pale preteen a hug but instead was met with JB’s outstretched hand trying to shake her own.

 

Gladys took one glance around the trailer before remarking under her breath, “It all still looks just the same.” Betty was eager to point out that his mother couldn’t be more _wrong_ , there was no way the trailer was ever this clean or nice when FP was living in it, but she bit her words back.

 

The awkwardness of the situation quickly melted away as Jellybean began to excitedly chatter all about Toledo. She was less interested in talking about her new school or any new friends she may have made, instead opting to relay funny stories about her grandparents or sights she had seen with her mother.

 

All was going well, remarkably well. Later in the afternoon, Jughead made everyone lunch (it was just sticking a DiGorno’s pizza in the oven, but it still counts). They had all joked around, even played a game of Uno and Betty even felt slightly guilty for assuming that the Jones’ didn’t have a shred of functionality left. Still, she didn’t miss the occasional side-eye that Jellybean would send her, or how she’d roll her eyes whenever Betty was answering a question Gladys had asked about her life.

 

They were about to play a movie, _Independence Day_ , much to Jughead’s chagrin. He personally wasn’t a fan of the movie, but was helpless against JB’s pleas.

 

“So, when are we heading to the park for the fireworks?” Jellybean asked as Jughead and Betty began to make popcorn.

 

“Actually,” Jughead responded, “We’re going to the high school to watch the fireworks.”

 

“ _What_?” Jellybean asked, shocked, “What do you mean? _Riverdale_ High?”

 

“Yeah,” He said coolly, rummaging through the cabinets, “Betty said they’re better than the ones on the Southside.” His breath caught in his throat when he noticed a particular piece of paper hanging out of his mothers purse.

 

“Oh, yeah,” Betty interjected with pep, “My family and I used to go every year- “

 

“ _Jughead and I_ go to the park _every_ year,” JB cut her off angrily, gritting her teeth.

 

“Not every year,” He bit back with a pointed glance at their mother. There was only one year they had missed them, and that’s because they were hundreds of miles apart and feeling like they were on opposing sides of the world.

 

“So!” She exclaimed, standing up, “We have to make up for last year! Betty’s never even seen the ones in the park, how would she even _know_ the ones at the high school are any better?”

 

“Forsythia,” Gladys pipped in, squinting her eyes, “Drop it. I’m sure Betty’s right.”

 

In response, JB crossed her arms and sat back down in her chair with a huff. The rest of the movie passed in harmony, with light chatter and memories of the Twilight Drive In discussed.

 

“Remember when I got that extra-large soda and you told me it was going to be too much for me to drink?” Jellybean reminisced.

 

“Yeah, and then as soon as the concession stand guy handed it to you, it slipped out of your hands and it spilt all over me?” He finished, before the siblings broke out into genuine laughter.

 

“And then you argued with the guy until he gave us a refill? You threatened to write an exposé on how he wasn’t following the company policy of free refills!” Jellybean added, causing both Gladys and Betty to join in their laughter as well.

 

He rolled his eyes and nudged Betty, “Yeah, it was all fun and games until _Moose_ saw me and told everyone in school I peed my pants.”

 

Betty brought her hand up to her face, laughing even harder, “Oh my god! I remember that, it was in sixth grade and he told everyone during lunch.”

 

“And then _you_ stood up and told everyone that Moose still kissed his mom goodbye at the bus stop,” Jughead pointed out before placing a kiss on her cheek.

 

Witnessing their affection for each other and feeling like her story, her _memory_ , was just hijacked, JB sighed dramatically.

 

As night began to fall, Jughead’s phone went off which garnered his mother’s attention.

 

“Who’s calling you?” She asked, but he brushed her off as he answered the phone.

 

“Hey,” He said, speaking softly, “Yeah, she’s here with Jellybean…No, it’s all good. I’m fine,” he laughed, “Yes, I ate. Betty’s here too.”

 

“Tell her I say hello!” Betty called out, moving her face closer to the phone. Betty liked his foster parents. They were kind, caring, and seemed to hold a special place in their heart for the burger-loving boy. Even her own mother knew of the Smiths and approved of them, which made Betty’s summer days spent at their house more bearable.

 

“She says ‘happy fourth!’ back to you Betty,” Jughead said with a smile before returning to the conversation with his foster mother, “Yeah I’ll be home later tonight. I’ll text you when I leave…Okay…I’ll talk to you later.” He hung up the phone.

 

“So, who was _that_?” His mother asked, with a forced smile on her face and an arched brow.

 

“My foster mother,” Jughead spat out, as if it were obvious.

 

“Don’t give me that attitude,” Gladys warned, but everyone in the room knew full well she wouldn’t do anything about it if he continued.

 

“Why do you _care_?”

 

“Because Jughead, I’m your mother!” She said, standing up. An epiphany struck Jughead in that moment: she was starting a fight with him because FP wasn’t around for her to banter with. But today, Jughead wasn’t going to let her walk all over him. “And all of the sudden, you can just call _them_ your home?”

 

“Really?” He shot back, getting up and crossing his arms. Betty cautiously stood beside him, trying to persuade him to calm down. “Because for the past _year and a half_ you haven’t been here!”

 

“Don’t do that,” His mother responded shakily, tears glossing over her eyes and pointing a quaking finger at him accusatorily, “Don’t you _dare_ try to blame me. You know I had to get out of here- “

 

“Out of here and leave me? Alone with him? With the man _you_ married and _you_ decided to have a family with. And then when times get tough, you just ditch one kid and take the other?”

 

“That man is unstable- “

 

“Mom!” Jellybean called out, “Just stop- “

 

“Yeah, damn right he is,” Jughead felt his voice rising and his fists clenched, “I know that better than anybody! Because I’ve had to take care of _him_ when he left! And then he got thrown in jail for something he didn’t even do—and you weren’t even around! I got sent to a foster home because you wouldn’t let me come visit Toledo!”

 

“ _What_?” JB interjected again, face aghast, “Mom? Is this true? You told me he didn’t want to come live with us-“

Harshly, Gladys grabbed her wrist, “That’s _enough_! You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

 

“Don’t touch her!” Jughead demanded when JB gasped at the shocking pain her mother’s hand sent through her wrist. He pushed Gladys’ wrist away and, once free, Jellybean stormed down the hall into their old room.

 

Betty ran after her as Jughead and his mother resumed their argument.

“Jellybean, wait,” she called out.

 

“Go away!” The preteen turned around to face Betty, spite filling her eyes, “I _hate_ you!” She screamed as she slammed the door in Betty’s face.

 

The blonde stood still for a moment shocked, before deciding it was best to let JB cool off. She returned to the living room where Jughead was storming over to his mother’s purse.

 

“I know the only reason why you’re here!” He exclaimed, ripping a collated set of papers from her purse.

 

“Jughead, no-” The older woman tried to argue as she realized what he was holding.

 

“You’re not here because you wanted to see me, or you wanted JB and I to spend time together,” he accused before slamming the papers down on the table, “You’re here because you want dad to sign off on your _divorce_ papers!”

 

Betty stood, mouth agape, shock and anger coursing through her bones.

 

“C’mon!” His mother said, not denying anything, “How can you blame me? I only left because I thought he needed time to sort himself out but he’s going to be locked up for years! How can you expect me to live like that? Just waiting for him to get out and clean up his act?”

 

“How can you expect _me_ to live like that?” He shot back, tears forming in his eyes, “And then blame me when I finally find a family that gives more than half of a shit about me?”

 

“I _do_ care about you sweetie,” She said in a softer voice, “I _love_ you. You know that. And clearly this foster family doesn’t know what you’re up to with _Betty_ when no one is around- “

 

“Hey,” Betty said, offended, “We were literally just tickling each other.”

“I’m _sure_ you were,” Gladys said, “’Just tickling each other’ is how I wound up with Jug- “

 

“Stop it! Just, stop it!” He yelled, desperately pleading with her, “Just admit it, you’ll never care about me like you do JB. Once you got those papers signed, you had no intention of seeing me ever again.”

 

“You…” His mother began to say, tears falling freely from her face as her voice strained, “You’re just…you’re so much like your father. You look so much like him Jughead, you even have the same name for Christs sake! I just…can’t.”

 

When he realized he was right and there was no denial in her words, he broke down. His chest heaved as sobs wracked his body and Betty helped him sit down on the couch, with an arm protectively placed around his shoulders. He felt his airways constrict, he knew he was shaking and his heart felt like it was about to burst out of his chest. He could feel himself paling and sweating as he cried into the palms of his hands, but was unable to calm himself down.

 

“I think you should leave,” Betty said firmly, locking eyes with the emotionally strung woman in front of her. She didn’t try to disguise the hatred behind her eyes. Instead she focused her attention to Jughead as the woman grabbed her things.

 

“Hey, hey,” She said, kneeling in front of him and placing her hands on either side of his face. “Can you look at me? Please?”

 

Shakily, he lifted his head up, looking at her with cold, eyes that were present somewhere else.

 

“Shhh, shh,” She whispered, “It’s going to be okay, alright? We’re going to work this out. But right now I just need you to breathe with me. Okay? Do you think you can do that?”

 

When he nodded in silent confirmation, still crying, she placed one of his hands on her chest, near her collar bone. She mirrored him, placing her hand on his chest and keeping the other on his face. Gingerly, she instructed _in_ and _out_ for several minutes. Eventually, he calmed down and she took him into her arms when Gladys ran back into the room.

 

“You’re _still_ here?” Betty spat out, annoyed.

 

“She’s gone,” She said breathlessly, “Jellybean is _gone._ ”

 

\--

 

After they determined she snuck out through the window of the window, they also decided they should spilt up to cover different areas of the town. Gladys was covering the trailer park and nearby shopping center, Jughead was checking the park, high school, Pop’s and even asking the Serpents to keep an eye out for her.

 

That left Betty with…whatever else remained in Riverdale. After what felt like an eternity of checking the local communities and streets, she realized there was only one place that Jellybean could be.

 

The remains of the old Twilight Drive-In. Although it was considered to be on the Southside of Riverdale due to the crowds who hung out there, it was really located more in the center of the town.

 

Under the lights of the dimly lit construction equipment, Betty saw the back of a small, raven haired girl against the bed of a truck.

 

“Jellybean?” She called out, cautiously approaching.

 

“Go away,” The girl muttered weakly, tears evident in her voice, “I ha- “

 

“I know,” Betty said, standing next to her, “You hate me.”

 

“What could _you_ possibly know?” Jellybean spat out.

 

“Let’s see… I know that you’re hurt, you’re angry, you feel like no one cares and you need someone to blame.”

 

JB looked up at her, confused and shocked when Betty continued, “And I can be that person, if you agree to let me sit.”

 

Curiously, the girl nodded, and Betty sat against the wall next to her and facing the open land of dirt. After Fred was shot, construction on the SoDale development was halted for what felt like an eternity.

 

They sat in a tense silent for a minute, while Betty weighed her options. She wasn’t sure if she could actually help JB, but she determined it was worth a shot. Before she spoke, she slyly texted Jughead their location.

 

“Last summer, I had the internship of my dreams. It was one of the best summers of my life,” She said, smiling at the memory of Toni Morrison, “But that all ended when I got home. I…I remember, I walked through the door and my parents were there. Acting as though nothing had changed, that I never left and wasn’t gone for ten weeks.

 

“That didn’t bother me so much. They’re always like that. Emotionless. But my sister isn’t, and when she wasn’t in her room I asked them where she was,” Betty felt tears springing at her eyes as she relived the memory, “And I’ll never forget…how _cold_ and clinical they were. They told me she was _sick_ so they sent her away. Just like that, overnight, like it was nothing. My sister was gone.”

 

Jellybean swallowed, feeling guilty before saying, “I didn’t know that. I’m sorry.”

 

“The worst part is…I didn’t even get to say goodbye. I didn’t know she wasn’t going to _be_ here when I got back,” she let tears fall from her face as she shook her head, “And it was all just a giant _lie_. She wasn’t sick, and my parents were telling her I didn’t want to see her, to keep us apart.”

 

“But Jughead…he helped me _find_ her and set her free. My family fell apart even _more_ after that, if you could believe it,” she laughed humorlessly, “But he was always there for me.”

 

Jellybean began to cry again, and Betty enveloped her in a deep hug. “I miss him. I miss my brother. I miss my family. I miss everything,” she sniffled, her tears soaking Bettys shirt.

 

Comfortingly, Betty ran her hand through JB’s hair, “I know. And you’re allowed to. You’re allowed to cry and feel hurt. You’re allowed to feel angry that things aren’t the way they used to be.”

 

“But,” she said, pulling the young girl back so she could look her in the eye, “Above everything else, you need to know…it’s going to get better.”

 

Tearfully, Jellybean laughed and retorted, “That’s _so_ cheesy.”

 

“But it’s true,” Betty said earnestly, “Everything hurts now, but it’ll get better. And then it’ll get worse again, but it’ll also get better again. That’s how life is. And along the way, you meet people who make it all worth it.”

 

“I just don’t want him to forget me,” She hiccupped, “I don’t want to miss him anymore.”

 

Betty felt her heart pang at that before assuring Jellybean, “He could _never_ forget you. He loves you, JB. You mean the world to him. He…after your dad was imprisoned, the Serpents offered him a spot in their gang.”

 

When JB stiffened and looked at her with wide eyes, Betty continued to say, “But he turned them down. Because he knew that he’d never be able to leave here and see you again if he didn’t.”

 

“Jellybean! Betty!” Jughead called out, running to them. When he approached Jellybean stood up and hugged him tightly, even tighter than when she saw him earlier today.

 

“Woah-hey, hey now,” He admonished, “Just because you’re being all cute and cuddly now and hugging me doesn’t mean I’m not angry for the near _heart_ attack you just gave me.”

 

“I’m sorry,” she mumbled into his shirt before pulling away, “I love you.”

 

“I love you too,” He said, hugging her back and placing his head on top of hers.

 

Seconds later, fireworks began to pop off in the North side of town. The three of them looked up at them in awe.

 

“Guess Betty _was_ right,” JB admitted as she watched the lights in splendor.

 

Then, with a loud bang, fireworks sounded off in the Southside of town, equally grand and splendid. If Betty, Jughead and Jellybean turned 90 degrees, they’d be able to see both sets of fireworks. They looked at each other in amazement, as Jughead ran to get blankets from the pick-up truck.

 

In a few moments, he turned with an assortment of pillows and blankets, spreading them across the ground as the group laid down, with Jellybean in between them. As they cuddled together, they’d alternate between watching the fireworks at the high school and at the park.

 

They all knew that the war was far from over, and hard times were yet to come, but as Betty and Jughead linked hands in front of JB, the girl couldn’t help but realize that this was one of the better moments that Betty was talking about. The half of an hour they spent looking up at the fireworks and the stars would make the coming days all the more worth it.

**Author's Note:**

> if you're still reading this I'm sorry


End file.
